Polar bear shot dead after 200 mile swim

Daily News ^ | June 6th 2008 | AMANDA L. PENTLER

[aft_lizard]

Iceland does have seals, which is a major component of a polar bears diet.

[Huskrrrr]

MMMMM-BOY! BEAR BURGERS!

[LZ_Bayonet]

"A polar bear can swim 200 miles. But yet one picture of a polar bear on an iceberg and we are suppose to be in a panic, as if there is not more solid ground within swimming distance of the poor bear."

Excellent point!

"The tragedy is being cited as a reminder of the impact that receding North Pole ice has on its animal inhabitants..."

Do you know how they keep track of how much pressure the bears are under? - with a bearometer.

[RetSignman]

I’m no animals rights loony but that is down right sad.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

People don't realize that polar bears are omnivores — despite the eco-propaganda about their total dependency on catching seals through ice flows. They'll eat just about any fresh (or fairly recently deceased) source of meat — including small whales, sea lions, and people. They also like to eat berries & are particularly fond of dining at town dumps.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I’d tend to agree. I guess cops everywhere are short on patience.

[Always Right]

Do you know how they keep track of how much pressure the bears are under? - with a bearometer.

LOL, did your 4 year old tell you that one?

[a_chronic_whiner]

“Iceland’s environment minister, Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir is said to have given the green light for police to shoot to kill because it would have taken 24 hours for a proper tranquilizer to be flown to the scene.”

guess they didn’t have any other choice, it’s sad to see the bear go, but they still might have had a legitimate reason to do so. Either way, I’m not there so I can’t second guess their decision.

[isom35]

he wanted a job that Icelandic bears refused to do.

[Joiseydude]

I thought they automatically drowned after 50 miles.

So says the Goracle.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

A polar bear that swam more than 200 miles through near-freezing water to reach Iceland was shot by local police - just in case it posed a danger to humans

By this logic America must kill all grizzly and brown bears as dangers to humans.

[Cvengr]

Better to set public policy with illegallay invasive polar bears than to let it creep out of hand. Next, the giraffes and ostriches will begin to slip in unawares.

[vaudine]

Back when I was in HS (grad. 1952), we learned that glaciers are not static. They move slowly but constantly downward and chunks break off and float out to sea. The icebergs that sank the Titanic were probably chunks of glaciers.

Also learned the polar bears were one of few animals who could swim in the frigid northern waters--"polar" bears for a reason.

Today's hysteria is almost more than I can stand.

vaudine

[ricks_place]

A polar bear was shot by local Iceland police; only 24,999 to go.

[littlehouse36]

Oh great. This will be the Abu Ghraib for the methane police.

[B4Ranch]

This bear probably floated 195 miles on an ice shelf and maybe swam five miles to shore. They have been known to swim 20 miles but it’s not an everyday affair.

[aft_lizard]

They tend to eat vegetation only as a last resort, they prefer meat.

[Rebelbase]

http://www.snopes.com/humor/lists/fakenews.asp

[Dick Vomer]

probably a penguin that shot him...

[kempo]

Polar bears are seen all the time swimming anywhere from 60 to 100 miles out at sea. This is nothing unusual.